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Avengers: Age of Ultron

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Scarlett Johansson in Avengers: Age of Ultron (Marvel)
Scarlett Johansson in Avengers: Age of Ultron (Marvel)

What it's about:

When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth's Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for a global adventure.

What we thought:

This year is probably one of the most hyped years in a long time for Hollywood. The anticipation for sequels to massive movie franchises has nerds and geeks all over the world gushing with each trailer that comes out (including myself), making the general public just as excited. The Avengers: Age of Ultron started off this year, and what a promising start to a exciting year.

From the first scene, we are thrown into mid-action as our favourite heroes give Hydra a brutal hiding. With all the excitement built up before its release, this is the best way it could have started. The Avengers have each developed their fighting style to an art, with even the most human characters doling out kickass with suped-up gear. This first scene is probably the purest Avengers scene you’ll see, before everything goes seemingly wrong.

Joss Whedon is one of the best things to happen to superhero franchises, mostly because it’s a nerd making nerd films. Not only does he direct the Avengers, he also wrote the screenplay, making for fantastic watching. He has very unique wit which comes through in subtle moments but still makes you laugh like a kid. I wish I could refer to all these great little moments, but you’ll have to see it for yourself.

Whedon also pulls in everything that happens in the stand-alone films and how certain characters are developed, making sure not to repeat too much and developing them more. But in this film, the characters without their own films were given a chance to tell a bit more of their stories, have their own dilemmas to fight with. This balances well with the CGI smorgasbord Marvel is known for, which improves with each passing film. (And Hulkbuster is cooler than whatever you had imagined it would be.)

Also some SA love with Johannesburg getting pulverised by the Hulk and Ironman. It’s pretty great to see Africa depicted with a modern city instead of some jungle or desert. And Andy Serkis (Golem) pulls off a fantastic South African accent!

As for the new villain, Ultron, he’s like an evil Tony Stark. His humour and rage stems from his apparent creator, but it gets twisted with the logic of a computer that views the Avengers as a threat to Earth. He would make a fascinating study on morals and greater good, compounding Stark’s fear of space with a misunderstanding of humanity.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron was everything we hoped it would be, and another big star for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With enough build-up for the next Avengers film (Captain America: Civil War), Marvel is looking to keep its Superhero Crown (sorry Warner Bros. and Fox).

Read another review here.

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